dexter



Nu. 608,843. Patented Aug. 9, I898.

T. C. DEXTER.

PAPER FOLDING MACHINE.

(Application filed Mar. 17, 1897.) (No Model.)

4 sheets-sheet l.

WITNESSES 2 A INVENTOR g. g.% &5. M /7 2 Kw ATTORNEY No. 608,843.Patented Aug. 9, I898.

- T. C. DEXTER.

PAPER FOLDING MACHINE.

(Application filed Mar. 17, 1897.) (No Model.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

WITNESSES A ATTORNEY NIL-608,843. Patented Aug. 9, I898. T. C. DEXTER.

PAPER FOLDING MACHINE.

(Application filed. Mar. 17, 1897.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

INUENTOR W 42 7 M \/4.@- ATTORNEY WITNESSES .4 @fi-J,

No. 608,843. Patented'Aug. 9, I898.

T. c. DEXTER.

PAPER FOLDING MACHINE.

(Application filed Mar. 17, 1897.) No Model.)

4 Sheets-Sheet, 4.

III/I111,

, nun" llllllllllllHf lllllll ldllllllllll IIIIIH llllllllllll lUitrr-nnErnrns TALBOT O. DEXTER, OF PEARL RIVER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THEDEXTER FOLDER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PAPER-FOLDING MACHINE.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 608,843, dated August9, 1898.

Application filed March 1 7, 189 '7.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TALBOT C. DEXTER, of Pearl River, in-thecounty ofRockland, in the State of New York, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Paper-Folding Machines, of which the following, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

The chief object of this invention is to provide a paper-folding machinewhich shall deliver the sheets properly folded into pamphlet form andwith the edges of the leaves out, so as to free each leaf thereat fromthe adjacent leaves and thus relieve the reader of the annoyance ofslitting the edges of the pamphlet or printed periodical; and the objectof the invention is also to provide simple, efficient, and convenientmeans for gathering the folded sheets delivered from the folding-machineor other machine delivering sheets of paper successively; and to thatend the invention consists in the novel organization of mechanismshereinafter described, and summed up in the claims. i

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a paper-foldingmachine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinalsection of said machine. Fig. 3 is a plan View of the same. Fig. 4 is aside view of the mechanism for imparting intermittent motion to thesheet-gathering carrier. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the cutters, whichslit the folded sheets on lines at'right angles to the folding-rollers.Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse section on line X'X in Fig. 1 of thedrawings. Fig. 7 is a sectional plan View of the sheet-gatheringcarrier. Fig. 8 is a side View of a modification of the sheet-deliveringconveyors, and Fig. 9 is a detail plan View of a portion of theadjustable stationary cutter.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A denotes the main frame of the machine, which frame may be of anysuitable shape to support the various mechanisms of the machine.

B B represent the folding-rollers,which are 3' ournaled in boxes mountedon inclined beams of the frame A, and 0 represents the foldingblade,which tucks the sheet into the bite of said folding-rollers in the usualand well- Serial No. 627.948. (No model.)

known manner. Said blade is secured to a suitable head 0, attached tothe free ends of two arms 0 C secured to a horizontal rock-shaft C toone end of which shaft is secured an arm 0 To said latter arm is secureda pitrnan 0 receiving reciprocating motion from aj cam 25 on thedriving-shaftf, by which intermittent oscillatory motion is imparted tothe arms 0? O In the front and rear of the bite of said rollers aresheet-supports, preferably formed of bars a a, disposed at right anglesto the folding-rollers and inclined in one direction. Said bars aresecured to cross-bars do, which are properly supported at. oppositesides of the machine.

b represents the usual front stop or sheet arresting and alining gage,which is adj ustably attached to the lower ends of the bars a. From theupper ends of said sheet-supporting bars extend thesheet-deliveringconveyers cc, which are disposed in a higher plane thansaid bars and are-inclined correspondingly to deliver the, paper intoits requisite position on the folding-machine.

D represents the feed-board from whence the paper is fed to theconveyers o. Said conveyers may consist either of endless tapes or beltsrunning on rollers c 0, extending across the machine and journaled insuitable bear ings on the sides of the main frame A, or in lieu of saidtapes or belts stationary bars 0 with star-wheels pivoted to the sidesthereof, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, may be used for carryingthe sheet down to its requisite position over the folding-rollers. Ineither case, however, the upper roller 0' is to be used withdrop-rollers cl over it to propel the sheet from the feed-boardD ontothe inclined conveyers. Over said conveyers, as well as over thesheet-supporting bars a a, are longitudinal sheet-guiding bars 0 0Between the upper ends of the sheet-supporting bars and lower ends ofthe sheetconveyers is interposed a stationary cutter I, which extendsacross said ends of the conveyers on a line parallel with thefoldingrollers and is mounted on a bar I, which is firmly secured at itsends to the sides of the main frame. Said cutter is adjustably fastenedto the bar I by means of bolts 6, inserted from the bottom of the lowerbar I and passing through a transverse slot 2 in said bar, as shown inFig. 1 of the drawings, and entering a screw-threaded socket in theunder side of the cutter. Said adjustable attachment allows the cutterto be set to take up the wear thereof and into a proper position tocooperate with the shearing-blade J. The cutter is further sustained inits adjusted position by means of set-screws 6 passing through avertical flange on the lower bar I and abutting against the back of thecutter. This cutter is disposed with its top in the same plane with thetops of the sheet-delivering conveyers c 0, so as to allow the sheet topass from said conveyers over the cutter and down onto thesupporting-bars 01 Ct, Over said stationary cutter is theshearing-cutter J, attached to oscillatory arms J, fixed to therock-shaft J which is mounted in bearings on the sides of the main frameand has an arm J 3 attached to its end. A pitman J attached to the freeend of said arm and receiving reciprocating motion from a cam f on themain driving-shaft f, serves to impart the requisite shearing motion tothe cutter J. The said cutter and the gage Z) are disposed parallel withand equidistant from the folding-rollers B B to cause the line offolding to be located exactly midway the length of the sheet lyingbetween said cutter and gage.

Beneath the folding-rollers B B and parallel therewith are two shafts gand g, journaled similar to said rollers in hearings on the side of theframe A. To one of these shafts are fastened properly-spacedcutting-disks h h, which have their edges passing throughcircumferential grooves in collars h 72 fixed to the other of saidshafts, as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. These shafts have secured tocorresponding ends intermeshing gears k 7L2 to cause the cutting-disks hand collars h to revolve in directions and at a velocity correspondingto those of the foldingrollers. Said cutting-disks slit the sheets onlines at right angles to the folding-rollers and divide the foldedsheets into four equal parts or signatures, as hereinafter more fullydescribed. Beneath the shafts g g and parallel therewith are two rollers11 i, sustained contiguously side by side in the same manner as thefoldingrollers B B and in position to receive between then the aforesaidsignatures. These rollers are geared to rotate similar to thefoldingrollers and serve to compress and smooth said signatures.

Below these compressing-rollers I employ my improved sheet or signaturegatherer, which consists,essentially,of a longitudinallymovable carrierreceiving upon it the folded signatures and a detent j for controllingthe position of the delivered sheets or signatures on said carrier.

I prefer to form said gatherer of endless belts Z Z, running onhorizontal parallel rollersR R, which are jonrnaled in boxes secured tothe sides of the frame A. Said belts are moved longitudinally at regularintervals by suitable mechanism receiving motion from the driving-shaftof the machine. Said actuating mechanism of the signature-gatherer isillustrated in Fig. 4 of the annexed drawings and consists of aratchet-wheel 7c, fastened to the shaft Z of one of the rollers R, and apawl Z pivoted to a pinion m, mounted loosely on said shaft contiguousto the side of the ratchetwheel, A rack 01 engages the pinion m andreceives reciprocating motion from a rotary eccentric n, to which saidrack is connected.

The detent j I prefer to form of a bar extending across the machineparallel with the rollers R and adj ustably secured to the sides of theframe A by bolts 0, passing through a horizontal flange on the bar j andthrough longitudinal slots 0 in the frame A, as represented in Fig. 7 ofthe drawings. Said attachment allows the detent j to be adjusted in itsposition to accommodate it to different sizes of paper or signatures tobe gathered on the belts Z Z. I

To properly guide the signatures onto said belts, I place under thecompressing-rollers i 2' a chute s, which leads from the bite of saidrollers toward the detent j.

A suitable train of gears (shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings) transmitsmotion to the folding-rollers B B, cutter-shafts g, andcompressing-rollers 'i 2', all of which rotate in unison, and by meansof suitable cams t and t and f, attached to the driving shaft f, as moreclearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the drop-rollers d, shearing-cutter J and foldingblade 0 receive their respective properlytimedmotions to act in unison with the aforesaid rollers and cutter-shafts.

The purpose of the described machine is to sever from a printed sheetthe component signatures of a magazine or pamphlet and to fold andproperly gather said signatures in a convenient condition for bindingthe same in book form with the edges of the leaves out, so as to alloweach leaf to be turned from the adjacent leaf or leaves.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The printed sheet is placedupon the feedboard D in such a position as to present toward the upperends of sheet-conveyers c c the same edge of the sheet which was used ingaging it in the process of printing the sheet. From the feed-board thesaid sheet is passed under the drop-rollers d in the usual manner. Thedrop-rollers then descend and cause the sheet to be carried down on theinclined conveyers c and supporting-bars a a to the gage b, whicharrests the further forward movement of the sheet by contact with thefront edge of the sheet, which is the edge by which the sheet was gagedin printing, as aforesaid, and consequently the margin of the sheet adjacent to the gage b is perfectly uniform. This gage is adjusted so thatthe exact center of the middle margin on the sheet is brought preciselyover the cutting edge of the cutter I. Then the shearing-blade Jdescends and severs the sheet. The lower half of the sheet lying overthe bars a a, which are in a lower plane than the conveyers c 0, causesthe upper end of said portion of the sheet to drop from the edge of thecutter I. The blade J having then been lifted causes the upper half ofthe sheet to be carried down and shifted onto the top of the lower half.The front edge of said upper section or half of the sheet coming incontact with the gage b and becoming alined thereby causes the two frontedges of the two halves of the sheet to be perfectly even and thecentral margins of said portions of the sheet to lie central andparallel over the bite of the folding-rollers. The-foldingblade C-thentucks the paper into the bite of the folding-rollers in the usualmanner, and in passing between said rollers the two halves of the sheetare folded jointly and then pass between the cutters and grooved collarsh and are thereby slitted on lines at right angles to thefolding-rollers and divided into four equal parts, each of whichcomprises a signature of eight pages. These signatures thence passbetween the compressing-rollers 1 and onto the belts l) b of thegatherer.' In the approach to the latter the advance edges of the foldedsignatures strike the detent j and become thereby properly deposited onsaid belts. The intermittent travel of the belts is so timed that afterthe deposit of each set of signatures upon the belts the latter travelabout one-half or three-fourths of an inch, so as to carry thesignatures that distance from the detent, and thus guard against thestriking of the advance edges of the succeeding signatures against therear edges of the deposited signatures. The signatures are thus gatheredin a very neat and convenient condition for removing them from the beltsZ Z and for binding the signatures into book form.

WVhat I claim'as-my invention is- 1. The combination with thefolding-rollers, of conveyers depositing the sheet over said rollers, acutter severing the sheet on a line parallel with and remote from therollers, means for shifting the remote severed section of the sheet uponthe section lying over the rollers, and a blade tucking said sectionsjointly into the bite of the folding-rollers as Set forth.

2. The combination with the folding-rollers, paper-supports in front andrear of said rollers, and conveyers delivering the paper upon saidsupports, of a gage and a cutter disposed parallel at opposite sides ofand equidistant from the folding-rollers, and means for shifting therear severed section of the sheet upon the top of the front sectionthereof, substantially as set forth.

3. In a paper-foldin g machine the combination with the folding-rollers,folding-blade, sheet arresting and alining gage, and papersupports atopposite sides of the folding-rollers, conveyors delivering the sheet tothe gage and disposed in a higher plane than the aforesaidsheet-supports, a cutter severing the sheet at the junction of saiddelivering-conveyers and sheet-supports, and means for shifting the rearsevered section of the sheet from the said conveyers onto the top of thesection lying upon the aforesaid supports.

4. In a paper-folding machine the combination with the folding-rollers,folding-blade, sheet-supports in front and rear of said rollers andsheet arresting and alining gage, of sheet-conveyers delivering thesheet to the aforesaid gage and disposed in a higher plane than saidsheet-supports, a stationary cutter extending across the machine at thejunction of the sheet-conveyers and sheet-supports and inthe same planewith said conveyors, and a shearing-blade over the stationary cutter tosever the delivered sheet, as set forth and shown.

5. In combination with the folding-rollers and folding-blade,sheet-supporting bars at the rear and front of said rollers andinclined, respectively, to and from the rollers, a stationary cutterextending across the upper ends of the rear supporting-bars and elevatedtherefrom, sheet-delivering conveyers extending rearward from andinclined to said outter, and a shearing-blade over the stationary cutterand severing the sheet thereat and in its downward movement dropping thelower severed section of the sheet from the cutter, and in its elevatedposition allowing the upper section of the sheet to slide down upon thetop of the lower section preparatory to folding one within the other, asset forth.

6. In combination with the folding-rollers, folding blade andsheet-supports in front and rear of said rollers, a cutter severing thesheet on a line parallel with the folding-rollers while lying at restacross said rollers, means for shifting one of the severed sections ofthe sheet onto the top of the other section, and a cutter severing thejointly-folded sections of the sheet on a line at right angles to thefolding-rollers, as set forth.

7. In combination with the folding-rollers, folding-blade,sheet-supports in front and rear of said rollers and inclined in onedirection and in lines at right angles to the foldin g-rollers, asheet-arrestin g gage on the lower endsof said supports,sheet-delivering conveyers at the upper ends of the sheet-supports, acutter interposed between said conveyers and supports severing the sheeton a line parallel with the folding-rollers, means for shifting thesevered upper section of the sheet onto the top of the lower section,and cutters severing the jointly-folded sections of the sheet on linesat right angles to the folding-r0llers, as set forth.

8. In combination with the folding-rollers and folding-blade,sheet-supports in front and rear of said rollers, a cutter severing thesheet at the receiving end of said supports and on a line parallel withthe folding-rollers, means for shifting one of the severed sections ofthe sheet onto the top of the other section, cut ters beneath thefolding-rollers slitting the ICC jointly-folded sections on lines atright angles to the folding-rollers, compressing-rollers receiving theslitted sheets between them, and

a longitudinally-movable carrier gathering the sheets delivered fromsaid compressingrollers.

9. In combination with the folding-rollers and folding-blade,sheet-supporting bars in front and rear of said rollers and inclined inone direction at right angles to the foldingrollers, a sheet-arrestinggage on the lower ends of said bars, sheet-delivering conveyers at theupper ends of said bars and in a higher plane, a stationary cutterextending across the delivery end of said conveyers and in the sameplane therewith, a shearing-cutter over said stationary cutter andsevering the sheet, rotary cutters beneath the folding-rollers slittingthe jointly-folded sections of the sheet on lines at right angles to thefolding-rollers, sheet-compressing rollers receiving between them theslitted sheets, two parallel horizontal rollers disposed in a planebeneath the compressing-rollers, endless belts running on said rollers,a chute conducting the slitted sheets to said belts, a detent over thebelts controlling the position of the sheets thereon, and mechanismimparting to said belts an intermittent longitudinal movement from thesheet-arresting side of the detent, substantially as described andshown.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name this 23d day ofFebruary, 1897. 1

TALBOT O. DEXTER. [L. 8.] WV itnesses:

V. E. MARsH, J. F. COLE.

